Picture © Greg Wagner Greg Wagners immaculately restored M15B Z42 is a fine example of what graced QR's roads in later years and is the best M15 restoration I have seen to date. Well done Greg! It is a real credit to you. Greg's car was built in 1978 at Pacific ACE's plant in Hornsby NSW, serial No.256.
Queensland Railways, QR, founded in 1865, has the largest rail network in Australia with some 9,500+ kilometers of 1067mm (42") narrow gauge track. In later years it would also have the biggest fleet of Fairmonts operating in Australia as the state of South Australia thinned out its diverse Fairmont fleet.
Excluding QR's own built 'Northgate Fairmonts' which will be covered in a separate area the first of the post WW2 Fairmont models on Queensland rails appears to be a number of Cairns area based PMG owned cars model M19Z42-F-3 . Tutt-Bryant Serial 104 of 1953 still survives and a motor from another of this lot was recorded in recent times.. They were used for the maintenance of overhead telephony wire on QR's Forsayth and other lines right of way in far North Queensland.
The PMG fleet will be covered in a separate area also when more information comes to hand.
Research to date indicates the first Post WW2 Fairmont QR purchased appears to be an ST2Z42-H-1-1 model, Tutt-Bryant Serial 1001 of 1955. Although QR purchased 15 'RQ-B-2 E' and 25 'QBA-E-9' engines post WW2 prior to this first ST2, these engines appear to be for fitting/replacement in their local built 'Northgate Fairmonts'. At least one of the QBA and one of the RQ-B engines have survived intact with at least two of the RQ-B's rebuilt as RQ-D's. A batch of 8 M19Z42-F-3-1's were also ordered at the same time with another 8 M19Z42's and 19 ST2Z42's two months later. By the end of 1955 QR appears to have had a fleet of 16 M19Z42's and 40 ST2Z42's post war Fairmonts starting a Fairmont motor section car fleet that would grow considerably over the next 26 years.
Mid 1956 would see the M15Z42-B-1-1 and the MT14Z42-H-3-1 introduced to QR tracks. The MT14Z42 growing to the largest fleet size on QR tracks and in Australia with most of the 540 units produced being purchased by QR over 25 years.
The biggest single order QR placed was for 90 MT14's in late 1955...the first 25 engines and non Australian manufactured components shipped out from Fairmonts Minnesota factory on 06/01/1956 and the remaining 65 shipped on 21/03/1956. It must have been a busy place at the Tutts assembly plant at Rydalmere, Sydney, NSW during those times.
Queenslands Fairmonts used the rare, by North American standards, magneto option right from the start back in 1924 and this continued to present day as it was considered more practical than trying to supply batteries to this large and often remote rail network. There were some buzz coil models supplied but not many and any that arrived with coils were soon converted to magneto ignition. A PMG owned M19 Z42 that ran on QR tracks retained its original buzz coil ignition.
An 'S' series type magneto ignition car was the first,'S2-A' circa 1924, and last, 'ST2Z42 H-1-1' Pacific Equipment Company, 2037 of 1981, bought by QGR. ST2 serial 2037 also had the honour of being the last Fairmont assembled in Australia.
At the time of writing QR still have a number of different model Fairmonts in service, a lot now re motored with a Briggs engine and two way gear box.
A lot of QR cars carry the same road number and this has brought about some confusion, speculation and a lot of questions my way as to why this was so...so here is my analysis.
It would be reasonable to assume that No 1 was allocated by QR to its first Gang Car back in the twenties and this numbering and evidence indicates this continued with the Northgate and other pre war model gang cars. By 1955 ST2Z42 1018 of 1955, engine No. 95792E was delivered and allocated QR road number 208. If number allocation was strictly followed ST2 QR No. 208 was the two hundred and eighth gang type car QR had purchased/made by 1955 and would have been made up of early Fairmonts, QR manufactured 'Northgate' cars, other models, casey jones etc and the new post war Fairmonts.
In 1956 the MT14's were delivered. The MT14's were gang cars like the ST2's and so QR in its wisdom decided that they would continue to share the same road numbering in order of arrival as per all the pre/post WW2 gang cars.
Interestingly the QR MT14 fleet would grow to be almost double that of the ST2 fleet.
I note that the small fleet of Sylvester H21B Medium Gang Cars that QR owned appear to be included in this numbering scheme but as yet not fully confirmed. A Sylvester manual I have indicates road No. QR 363 and thus would indicate this as a possibility.
The ST2 road numbering appears to have started in the high 100 range...(198 lowest seen) and the first MT14's allocated numbering in the low 200's(238 lowest car noted so far)in order of arrival with the ST2's. The ST2's, MT14's, and Sylvester H21B' Gang Cars, if included, combined would finish at ST2 QR road No. 994 carried by Pacific ST2 serial 2037 of 1981 This being the last of the deliveries.
The circled ' I ' preceding the numeric road number appears on most of the MT14's, on some of the M15B's round the '300' range and some of the early M19's. It does not seem to have been used with the ST2's...What does it indicate???
By late 1955 the M15B's were being sourced as a replacement for the M19's and by 1956 they were on QR's tracks. The M15B's numbering system started at No.200 and finished at 455 (not confirmed) when the last M15B was put into service in 1980. The smaller Sylvester E21B I assume would have been included in this number scheme.
So now when you see an M15 carrying the same number as an MT14 or ST2 you will understand why.
I must also thank QR for allocating their car numbering in factory serial number order or close to it in later years. It has made the job of tracing later car history so much easier.
Cars were dispatched from Northgate and later Redbank to the field with their official QR numbers some local depots and sections over time would introduce their own numbering scheme.
QR was also into plagiarism and produced quite a number of their own parts for Fairmonts. These included a lot of high changeover items consisting of new water jackets, magneto side bearing housings, brakes shoes and the like. They also made a lot of new Flywheels for both the ROC and RQ-D's.
QR was the only railway system in Australia (in the world also?) to press its own 14" and 16" wheels. The wheels were similar to the solid Tamper 1+1 wheels but with two small round holes diagonally opposite each other. An interesting story here was that Tutts spent considerable time investigating why a number of their narrow gauge gang cars sold to QR developed rough riding characteristics. After much investigation it turned out that some of the 16" wheels pressed by QR were out of round... OOOPS!
And why have QR wheels got two round holes in them you ask? One good reason was to pass the grease gun thru as MT14's and ST2's fitted with spring suspension had the grease nipples on the wheel side of the bearing casing and could only be reached thru the wheel spokes/holes.
QR produced parts are easily identified by the prefix MUG/MUS/MU?
Overhaul was performed at most regional depots as distance precluded them from being sent to one or two main locations with Gladstone being the last depot to perform this work.
A traveling wagon with roving fitter also visited the more remote locations around the state undertaking repairs and overhauls. 'Kevi Williams' (sadly deceased) was the last person in Rockhampton and surrounds to perform this task and was well respected in his knowledge of Fairmonts. He also undertook a lot of engine conversions from two to four stroke and his apprentice at one time, Rod Burfoot, remembers him fitting a Honda GX240 8hp engine to M15B QR ' I ' 285 and also teaching him the finer points of tuning and operating a 2 stroke car.
QR was the only state to re sleeve their engines and with much success. The sleeving material was a lot harder than the original bore so they are usually in good order still today.
During the 70's QR purchased a number of new ROC engines in the 1114XX and later 1122xx range from Fairmont to refurbish their aging fleet.
QR maintained their fleet well up to the late eighties and after that policy dictated no more so sadly the remaining fleet was run into the ground. There are still a few good finds but a lot of rattlers also.
Mass withdrawals occurred during the late eighties and early nineties and I remember a sorry sight of scores piled on top of each other at Maryborough R/S in Queensland.
The following post WW2 Fairmont models ran on Queensland roads
ST2Z42-H-1-1 | M19Z42-F-3-1 | MT14Z42-H-3-1 | M15Z42-B-1-1
What I need from you are the highest and lowest QR car numbers that you have seen/know about. I am interested in any model cars numbered in the lower 200's or earlier, or any car over 977. I also need serial plate info and the QR car number the plate came off if possible for these cars and all others as well. Your help will be fully acknowledged and will go towards filling in some of the pieces of the jigsaw.
Any additions/corrections/comments please feel free let me know.
Copyright © TFHL/Mark Swaby 2003/4/5/6/ - All rights reserved
Updated 8th May 2006